1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to systems and processes for securing licenses for content over a network and, in particular embodiments, to systems and processes for controlling access to content items with licenses delivered over the Internet or other suitable network.
2. Description of Related Art
The Internet is a global network which allows users to access server network devices from the user's personal computer or other user network-enabled device. As the Internet has grown, more and more users are taking advantage of the many lifestyle improvements which the Internet provides. One of these improvements is a new medium for commerce, commonly referred to as electronic commerce (or Ecommerce). Users are able to shop on-line at home for many of the items, such as books, toys, video games, and movies, that they used to purchase in brick and mortar stores. Some of these items are delivered to the user by traditional package delivery methods. Others, such as music and video, may be downloaded as large files to the user over a communication link. Typically, the Internet merchant would like to control access to content such that only the customer who paid for the delivered content will be able to enjoy access to that content.
Along with the growth in Internet commerce, however, there has been a corresponding growth in security concerns. Internet merchants are encountering many instances of unauthorized use of content by Internet users who have not legitimately purchased a right to access the content. This unauthorized use of content may be the result of users swapping downloaded files with other users or obtaining the content by other fraudulent means.
There exist many methods of content protection. File encryption methods provide limited protection. In addition, methods to verify that a particular user is an authorized user are constantly improving. However, code breaking techniques improve apace with improved encryption methods and it remains a problem to authenticate the identity of a particular user due to the sheer number of users on the Internet and due to sophisticated methods of impersonating not only other users, but also the computers of other users.
Therefore, there is an increasing need among Internet content providers to ensure only authorized use of the content which they provide to paying customers.